American Conservatory Theater Now Accepting Applications for Fall 2017 San Francisco Semester

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) announced today that applications for the fall 2017 San Francisco Semester (SFS) are now being accepted. The study-away program brings undergraduate students, recent college graduates, and international students into an active, ongoing engagement with the eclectic and energetic arts community of San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area. Grounded in a rich academic curriculum, the San Francisco Semester focuses on the practical aspects of the craft of acting and life in the professional theater. The 15-week program features a 17-credit core curriculum enhancing students' study with rigorous, upper-level classes in acting styles, voice/dialects, physical theater, and devised (student-created) work. Fall semester classes run August-December 2017. For additional information, visit act-sf.org/sfsemester.

Through inspiring, experiential courses and wide-ranging artistic encounters, the San Francisco Semester pulls students into thrilling conversations about theater as an ever-evolving art form. As part of the program, students will collaborate with some of the top artists in the industry, invigorate their imagination and creativity, and experience stirring, unforgettable performances. Surrounded by the creative and ambitious theater students of A.C.T.'s M.F.A. Program, students will expand their understanding of theater as they define themselves as artists. In the classroom and at performances across the Bay Area, students will explore theater from a multitude of angles: from the page to the stage, as viewer and performer, and across a variety of artistic genres. From A.C.T.'s Geary Theater and Strand Theater to Davies Symphony Hall to intimate downtown spaces, every week students will come face-to-face with some of the boldest productions anywhere and witness performances by some of the country's most eclectic artists. In addition, students will participate in master classes with A.C.T. faculty, A.C.T. artistic associates, and guest artists on specialized aspects of theater.

Since its inception in 2014, San Francisco Semester has welcomed more than 75 students from the United Kingdom, Sweden, France, Italy, and from throughout the United States. Taylor Iman Jones, a San Francisco Semester graduate (class of 2014) will be making her Broadway debut this month in Groundhog Day The Musical. Other graduates from the program have been accepted into A.C.T.'s prestigious Masters of Fine Arts Program.

"The San Francisco Semester has enabled dozens of passionate students to collaborate with some of the best arts professionals in the industry and to hone their skills in acting," says A.C.T. Conservatory Director Melissa Smith. "It's been an honor and a privilege to work with these talented students to help them discover and expand their understanding of all that theater can be. We believe their time here will be truly life-changing!"

Adds Taylor Iman Jones (A.C.T.'s The Unfortunates; Broadway's Groundhog Day The Musical): "San Francisco Semester gave me the tools I needed to take my career to the next level, and it will always be a large part of my foundation and the performer I am today. I can't believe that just over a year later, I got to use everything I learned from A.C.T. right on one of its stages. I couldn't have done it without San Francisco Semester, and I couldn't recommend the program enough!"

Theater majors in their junior or senior year (undergraduate), theater minors and second-term sophomores with special recommendations from theater faculty, recent college graduates with an A.A., B.A., or B.F.A. degree (within the last three years) with a theater major or minor, and international students are eligible. Applicants must have a GPA of 2.75 or higher, and evidence of health insurance.

The San Francisco Semester curriculum includes:
(Full class descriptions available online at act-sf.org/sfsemester)

Acting Styles
ACT 406-4 credits
Instructors: Nick Gabriel, David Keith
Students will explore the essential tenets of acting in various contexts, with particular emphasis on A) the reinforcement of universally applicable techniques, B) strategies for adapting performances to meet the demands of different material, and C) the relationship between form and content.

Physical Theater
ACT 414-3 credits
Fall Semester Instructor: Matt Chapman
Using the expressive body as the main vehicle of communication, students will delve into the many dimensions of play.

Voice, Verse, and Character
ACT 424-3 credits
Fall Semester Instructor: Lisa Anne Porter
This class will focus on the connection between voice, text, character, and argument.

Cultural Landscapes/Arts Colloquy
ACT 434-3 credits
Instructor: Jack Sharrar
Students attend A.C.T.'s professional season, selected Conservatory performances, as well as outings to other Bay Area theaters, concerts, dance performances, and museums each week as a basis for exploration into period and culture, play analysis, and stylistic development.

Devised Work
ACT 454-4 credits
Instructor: Mark Jackson
Taught by renowned Bay Area director Mark Jackson, this course offers students the opportunity to collaborate with a celebrated local artist to develop practical skills for devising original work.

The Artist Producer
ACT 444-1 credit
2 hours per week for 8 weeks
Instructor: Andy Donald
Students will assume the co-leadership positions, creating their own companies from scratch and developing real-world skills for running their very own artistic home.

A limited number of scholarships are available to students enrolled in the San Francisco Semester. For additional information or to apply online, visit act-sf.org/sfsemester.